In the prior art, an automatic adhesive transfer device is used with an adhesive tape with an adhesive coating thereon. FIG. 8 shows such an automatic adhesive transfer device, generally designated at 50. The device 50 is used with an adhesive tape comprising a double-sided release paper 51 with a pressure-sensitive adhesive coating 52 thereon. The adhesive tape is used in the form of a roll 53 with the adhesive-coated surface on the outer side. The adhesive tape roll 53 is rotatably loaded in a casing 54. The casing 54 has its top provided with a used tape exit 55, through which the release paper 51 after use, i.e., the used portion of the adhesive tape, is led out. Inside the casing 54, a stopper 56 is disposed at a position downstream of the tape exit 55 in the direction of rotation of or the adhesive tape roll for preventing the used portion of the release paper from remaining in the casing. Further, in order that the adhesive tape roll 53 should not be freely rotated while transferring the adhesive 52, a spring-like urging member 57 is mounted inside the casing 54 such that it is directed to follow the direction of rotation of the adhesive tape roll 53. The urging member 57 has a free end 58 which is in contact with an adhesive-free edge portion of the release paper 51, and thus is applying a braking force to the adhesive tape roll 53 to block free rotation thereof while not in contact with the adhesive 52.
However, since the spring-like urging member urges the adhesive tape roll only with its free end, it cannot restrict the direction of rotation of the adhesive tape roll to only the direction of adhesive transfer. This means that, in the case of an automatic adhesive transfer device which is designed such that the casing is pulled toward the user for the adhesive transfer, no adhesive can be transferred if it is pushed, as Westerners habitually do. Such an erroneous operation may damage the adhesive tape roll and, in an extreme case, spoil the function of the device.
Further, with the above prior art automatic adhesive transfer device, it is necessary for the urging member to urge the adhesive tape roll adequately at all times while the adhesive tape roll is reduced in diameter gradually in use. This means that a sophisticated design is necessary concerning the shape, mounting angle, length, degree of elasticity, etc. of the urging member. Therefore, a great deal of time and labor are required for the fabrication and mounting of the urging member.
Furthermore, manual control of the rotational speed of the adhesive tape roll at a constant speed is very difficult. Therefore, very frequently the adhesive is transferred beyond the desired end position due to excessive speed caused in the adhesive transfer operation.